Sheep brander



June 7,1932. c, GRlDLEY 1,861,914

I SHEEP BRANDER Filed Aug. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l EH Grid] 7 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v lwuwwlio o 7. Bridle MOI/W150 C. H. GRIDLEY SHEEP BRANDER Filed Aug. 50

June 7, 1932.-

Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES CLARENCE H. GRIDLEY, or rLouRNoY, CALIFORNIA SHEEP BRAnnER Application filed A11g'ust 30, 1930. Serial No. 478,970.

This invention relates to branding implements and more particularly to a device of this character by means of which sheep may be branded with the owners mark and thereby allow the sheep to be easily identified.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character by means of which sheep may be marked for identifying purposes without injuring the sheep.

Another object of the invention is to provide a' device of this character wherein flow of marking fluid from a container to saturate a marking pad carried by the container may be controlled, thereby permitting the proper quantity of fluid to pass to the pad when necessary.

Another object of the invention is to so form the branding implement that it may be easily carried in one hand and thereby allow sheep to be very easily branded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein a head carrying a marking pad may be securely but releasably held in engagement with a container for the marking fluid thereby permitting a head having the desired character to be applied to a container and this head easily removed and a head bearing another mark applied when necessary.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved branding device,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe same, 1

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the outer face of the marking pad. and

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the head carrying the marking pad.

This improved branding device has a hollow body or receptacle 1 serving as a container for markingfluid. This receptacle or body is open at its lower end and has its upper posite side portions of the receptacle by rivets 5. One arm may be of greater length than the other and bentback upon itself to form a suspending hook 6 having a bill 7 projecting outwardly from the arm above the receptacle or the hook may be formed of a separate strip of metal. In either case, the hook will be firmlysecured by the rivets securing this arm to the receptacle. This hook is providedso that when the branding implement is notin use it may be suspended from a rail of a branding pen or any other convenient support.

The open lower end of the receptacle or body 1 is closed by a head 8 having a marginal flange 9 to fit snugly about the lower end of the receptacle and this flange carries ears or lugs 10 which projectupwardly and have their upper end portions bent outwardly to project away from th e'receptacle. ears 11 are carried by the receptacle in spaced relation to its lower end and through the earslO and 11 are engaged bolts 12 having their lower ends, threaded and carrying securing nuts 13/ By this arrangement the head may be applied to the lower end of the receptacle or body and when the bolts are set in place and their nuts tightened, the head will be firmly but releasably. held in closing relation .to'the openlower end of the receptacle. The marking pad 14 which may be of any shape desired fits against the lower or outer face of the head 8 and in the present illustration the pad is in the form of a circle bisected by a cross bar. The flange 9 extends downwardlybelow the head in order to fit about the pad and other flanges 15 extend downwardly from the head 8 to engage opposite side faces of the cross bar and inner side edge faces of the circular portion of the pad at opposite sides of the cross bar. This is clearly shown in Fig. 2 and by referring to this figure, it will be seen that the flanges 9 and 15 are in such spaced relation to each other that when the pad is .set in place between the flanges, it will be compressed and veryfirmly held. Openings v16 are formed through the head between the flanges 9 and 15 in order that marking fluid may flow from the receptacle and saturate the pad.

In order to control flow of marking fluid Similar from the receptacle through the openings 16, there has been provided a valve plate or disk 17 which is preferably formed of wood and fits snugly in the receptacle. This valve disk has its under face covered by a leather facing 18 which is secured by screws 19 or in any other desired manner and registering openings 20 and 21 are formed through the valve disk and facing so that marking fluid in the receptacle or body may pass through this valve disk. Flanges 22 extend upwardly from the head 8 to form seats for the valve and these flanges serve not only as seats for the valve, but also permit a certain amount of fluid to accumulate upon the inner face of thehead without reaching the openings 16 and. also permit a certain amount of marking, fluid to be trapped between the'flanges when the valve is closed and slowly drain outwardly through the openings. Therefore,

the fluid which drains slowly through the outlet openings in the head will cause the pad to be saturated with marking fluid for some time after the valve has been closed and a number ofsheep may be branded after each opening and closing. of the valve.

In order to actuate the valve there has been provided a stem 23 which extends axially of the receptacle or body with its lower end held in engagement with the valve by a nut 24 and. its upper end portion extends outwardlythrough an opening formed centrally of the head 2. A cross bar or hand. hold 25 at the upper end of the stem extends beneath the handle 8 in spaced parallel relation thereto. Therefore,.the branding. implement may be grasped by its handle and when necessary the cross bar 25 may be engaged by one or two fingers of the hand holding the handle and the stem drawn outwardly to move the valve off the flanges or seats 22. The: branding liquid or fluid will then flow into the space between the flanges 22 in order to pass through the openings 16 and when .the valve-is again seated a certain amount of fluid will be trapped between the flanges and slowly drain through the openings. This valve is to be normally held in a closed posit-ion and in order to do: so, there has been provided a spring. 26 coiled about the stem with its lower end bearing against the valve and its upper end engaging. a cross bar or bridge 27 which extends transversely through the receptacle and has its ends secured to walls of the receptacle. It is important that the valve be prevented from turning inxthe receptacle and thereby prevent the openings 20' from moving into position above the cross bar of the pad, as otherwise fluid would continuously flow through the openings 16 in the head 8. above this cross bar, and in order to do so, there has been provided a pin 28 having itslower end engaged through an opening formed in the valve and its upper end. slidably engaged through an opening formed in the bridge 27 at one side of the valve stem. Therefore, the valve is free to slide longitudinally in the receptacle or body but it will be prevented from having rotary movement therein. Certain fluids used for branding purposes are very thick and do not flow freely when cold. ,VVhen such fluids are used, it is necessary to supply heat to the interior of the body in order to heat the fluid and cause it to flow freely through the openings in the head 8 and saturate the pad. I therefore provide heating means consisting of a tubular coil 29 disposed in the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 2, with its ends 30 projecting from upper and lower portions of the receptacle at one side thereof. By this arrangement steam or warm air may be passed through the coil in order. to heat the same and cause the marking fluid to be heated to such a. temperature that it will be liquefied and caused to flow freely.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A branding device comprising a hollow cylindrical body open at its'lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character, flanges carried by said head and extending downwardly therefrom to grip the pad from sides thereof and hold the pad in engagement with the head, said head having openings formed therein above the pad Whereby marking fluid may flow from the body and saturate the pad, a valve in said body slidable therein into and out of position to engage the head and interrupt flow of fluid through the openings, and actuating means for the valve.

2. A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character secured against the under face of said head, the head having openings to permit marking fluid in the body to flow therefrom and saturate the pad, a valve movable intoand out of position to interrupt flow of fluid through the openings, and means for heating contents of the body.

3. A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open endv of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character securedagainst the under face of said head, the head having openings to permit marking fluid in the body to flow therefrom and saturate the pad, a valve movable into and out of position to interrupt flow of fluid through the openings, and a coil in said body having portions extending externally thereof whereby a heating medium-1nay be passed throughthe coil and. heat contents of the body.

4. A branding device comprising a hollow cylindrical body open atits lower end,- a head for closing the open end of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character secured against the under face of said head, the head having openings formed therein above the pad to permit marking fluid in the body to flow therefrom and saturate the pad, ribs extending upwardly from the inner face of the head in enclosing relation to the openings and conforming to the contour of the pad and disposed above the same, a valve in said body movable into and out of engagement with the ribs to interrupt flow of marking fluid through the openings, and actuating means for the valve.

5. A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character secured against the under face of said head, the head having openings to permit marking fluid in the body to flow therefrom and saturate the pad, a valve seat extending upwardly from the inner face of the head in enclosing relation to the openings and conforming to the contour of the pad and disposed opposite thereto, a valve in said body slidable longitudinally therein into and out of engagement with the valve seat to interrupt flow of marking fluid through the openings and being formed with fluid passages, means to guide sliding movement of the valve and pre vent turning thereof in the body, means to yieldably hold the valve against the seat, and means to move the valve away from the seat operable externally of the body.

6. A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, a pad of absorbent material having the outline of a character se-- cured against the under face of said head, the head having openings to permit marking fluid in the body to flow therefrom and saturate the pad, a valve seat extending upwardly from the inner face of the head in enclosing relation to the openings and conforming to the contour of the pad and disposed opposite thereto, a valve in said body slidable longitudinally therein into and out of engagement with the valve seat to interrupt flow of marking fluid through the openings and being formed with fluid passages, a bridge extending transversely in said body above said valve, an actuating rod for said valve extending therefrom through the bridge and projecting from the upper end of the body, a spring about the rod between the bridge and valve and yieldably holding the valve against the valve seat, a handle for said body extending across the upper end thereof, and a hand hold for the upper end of said rod disposed beneath said handle.

7 A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, means for releasably securing the head in closing relation to the body, a pad against the outer face of said head defining a character, the head having openings formed therein whereby fluid may flow from the body and saturate the pad, flanges projecting from the inner face of the head and constituting valve seats enclosing the openings, a valve slidable in said body towards and away from said flanges, openings being formed in the valve to permit fluid to flow through the same and over the flanges to reach the openings when the valve is raised, and means to move the valve away from the flanges.

8. A branding device comprising a hollow body open at its lower end, a head for closing the open end of said body, means for releasably securing the head in closing relation to the body, a pad against the outer face of said head defining a character, the head having openings formed therein whereby fluid may flow from the body and saturate the pad, flanges projecting from the inner face of the head and constituting valve seats enclosing the openings, a valve slidable in said body towards and away from said flanges, openings being formed in the valve to permit fluid to flow through the same and over the flanges to reach the openings when the valve is raised, a cross bar in said body, a rod for said valve extending through said bar and projecting from the upper end of the body, a spring about said rod between said bar and valve to yieldably hold the valve seated against the flanges, a pin extending from said valve through said bar to guide movement of the valve and prevent rotation thereof in the body, a handle for said body, and a hand grip at the upper end of said rod.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

7 CLARENCE H. GRIDLEY. [n s.] 

